Marin settles suit with vendor SD used

SAN RAFAEL, Calif.  Marin County has settled high-profile litigation over a $30 million computer system that officials claimed didn't work properly.

The Marin Independent Journal (http://bit.ly/W140wJ) reports the county announced a $3.9 million settlement last week with little public explanation.

The settlement comes after Marin County spent $5 million in legal fees to pursue lawsuits against Deloitte Consulting LLP, software giant SAP and a former county auditor who managed the computer project before quitting to join SAP.

The lawsuit claims the county was ripped off when the electronic accounting system failed to work properly. The county scrapped the system, which had cost taxpayers an estimated $28.6 million by 2009.

Marin officials declined to comment, citing a settlement gag order.

But Supervisor Judy Arnold said, "We are not happy, but we need to move forward."